Cerberus Squadron: Guardians of Hades
by Cerberus Keeper
Summary: Hades, a colony on the fringes of known space. Cerberus squadron is tasked with protecting this godforsaken world. Facing pirates, rogue Zentradi, bigoted colonists and a lack of supplies this will be no easy task, for Hades has secrets of its own. R


**Cerberus Squadron: Guardians of Hades**

**Chapter 1: Formation**

**Col. Salvador Ortiz's Office**

**Flagship UNS Tripoli, in high orbit over the planet Hades**

**March 22, 2050**

"Well Major, you have anything to say? Anything at all?"

Major Ullio Kaadez had a lot to say. None of it was appropriate to say to a superior though. So instead he took a calming breath and stared out the window that currently overlooked the world named Hades. It was an ugly little world in Ullio's opinion but was preferable to Col. Ortiz's face.

"Intel was wrong... very, very wrong. They estimated no more than twenty fighters and one capital ship, when in reality we faced almost sixty fighters and three capital ships. We were outnumbered almost seven to one in fighters and three to one in caps. We're lucky we did as good as we did... Sir."

Even though it was the truth, he knew it made no difference. Ortiz was no better than the rest of the anti-Zentradi bigots that made up this colony and was just looking for a reason to slam him, and his last engagement was the perfect excuse.

His squadron, SVF-570 "Star Hammers," had been dispatched with the Bolognese frigate, UNS Tigerfish, to the Tantalus belt, a large but unstable asteroid belt just on this side of the gas giant Typhon. It was thought to contain hundreds of trillions of dollars of iron, titanium and other rare and precise metals. Pirates had been hitting the ore haulers and transports coming and going from out there and generally being a nuisance.

It was supposed to be an easy sweep and clean operation to get rid of them.. It had been anything but.

His squadron, against his better judgment but under orders from the Operation Commander (the late Lieutenant Colonel Jaquelyn Du Bois), had flown into the unstable debris field only to be ambushed. Outnumbered and out gunned, his boys and girls had flown magnificently but it hadn't been enough. He'd still lost five precious pilots and their aircraft that his undermanned squadron really couldn't afford. They'd taken some enemies with them though... there was that consolation... as little as it was.

It was only when the Tigerfish had managed to destroy two of the enemy caps (taking severe damage herself in the process) that the raiders had folded out leaving several of their "brothers" to be picked up.

Overall the operation had been deemed by command a nominal success. Seventeen enemy fighters, two caps and several prisoners in exchange for five pilots, five fighters and severe damage to the Tigerfish (not to mention the death of Lt. Col. Du Bois on the Tigerfish when the CIC had taken a hit). At least that's what the report said. Kaadez felt differently though and apparently so did Ortiz.

Of course looking back on it, there should have been more than his lone squadron (nine fighters in total) for this op, but as the old human expression put it "the well was running dry."

They had set out from Eden in 2043 with full compliments on all eight of the Guantanamo carriers and all their escorting Bolognese frigates. Five years getting to this rat hole of a system and two settling it had taken their toll. All said, the Spacy contingent was down to sixty percent strength of what they'd had two years ago... forty-five of what they'd started with at Eden, and only a few of these bigoted colonists would join because they hated Zentradi like himself... of course it didn't really matter considering they hadn't had any real supplies or contact from Spacy in over five years, so it wasn't like they had anything new to fly anyway.

The Colonel just smirked. The kind of smirk Ullio would love to rip off this desk jockey's face. Ortiz was a thin man with a ratty little mustache and glasses. He'd probably never even been in the cockpit of a Valkyrie, much less combat. Yet he was Ullio's superior and it made him sick to his stomach.

Major Ullio Kaadez was on the average size but built like a tank. He'd been apart of the original Zentradi force to defect because he'd loved Lynn Minmei's songs and found human culture to be both fascinating and precious. At first serving in the all Zentradi forces and then ten years before this little expedition transferring to the Valkyrie squadrons.

Pushing up the glasses on his nose the colonel began, "I really didn't want excuses Major. These losses were completely unacceptable against pirate raiders... **Zentradi** maybe, not pirates."

Ullio wondered whether by emphasizing Zentradi, the Colonel had taken a stab at his loyalty, subtly suggesting he would let rogue Zentradi paste his squadron on purpose. Probably had but there was nothing Ullio could do.

Col. Ortiz then picked up a data pad sitting in front of him and began to read from it, "I think what disturbs me the most is the loss of five vee eff eleven cee's... and of course their pilots as well."

"_I'm just sure you are you ratty little piece of crap. I'm just sure you are."_

"You are aware Major Kaadez, that trained pilots and working fighters are.... in short supply. So I'm sorry to say your squadron will not be receiving any replacement aircraft or pilots."

"_Just what am I suppose to do with only four fighters?"_

Colonel Ortiz then dropped the data pad back on his desk and looked Ullio straight in the eyes, "Have you heard about the colonial defense agreement recently made? Never mind, I"ll tell you all about it. It seems the Governor of Hades is concerned with the defensive condition of his planet and has decided to form a planetary militia. While General Vorobyov was displeased with this notion at first, he's quickly come to understand that it's the only way to keep Hades truly safe and has agreed... with the understanding that Spacy units will of course be assigned to Hades itself to train and assist the new militia."

"_Can't believe the old bear would let himself be cornered like this. Guess things are worse than I thought."_

Now Ortiz was smiling. It was the kind of smile a cat might have when he cornered a mouse, "I'm afraid Major that the Star Hammers are being disbanded. The pilots, including yourself, are being folded up with the survivors of two other squadrons to form one complete squadron, SVF-9762 'Cerberus'. Assigned to..." The colonel looked down at the pad quickly, "... Defense Base Thirteen, in the southwestern region of Hades main continent, effective immediately."

Ortiz then looked back up at Kaadez, a look of victory and satisfaction on his face, though Ullio didn't understand why. He would soon.

"Any questions Major?"

Ullio just managed to keep his mouth shut, and if Ortiz was paying any attention he would've notice how the muscles of Ullio's jaw were as tight as the strings on a finely tuned guitar and realize just how close he was to a very painful end.

"Only one sir. When am I suppose to leave for this new assignment?"

Col Ortiz cocked his head to one side at Ullio, making him look like some sort of stupid bird, "I did say immediately, didn't I? Your shuttle leaves in.." Ortiz checked his watch, "forty-five minutes. It'll take you to Hera's gate, where the members of your former squadron should already be, and join the rest of your new squadron and then head for dee bee thirteen. **Anything **else, Major Kaadez?"

"_Yeah, I'd like to break every bone in your body, but that just wont do now will it, you bigoted jerk?"_

"No Sir. Nothing at all."

The colonel leaned back in his chair and studied Kaadez for a moment. That look of victory still twinkling in his eyes, "Very well Major Kaadez, you're dismissed."

With a sharp salute and smart about face that would've made any drill sergeant in Spacy proud, Major Ullio Kaadez left Colonel Salvador Ortiz's office and headed for his uncertain future.

****

**Pilots lounge**

**Hera's Gate Spaceport, Planet Hades**

**March 22, 2050**

"_Crimson nine, you have a bandit on your six... Crimson nine!!!"_

_That was Crimson six, Maria Holt. Where she was, or how she knew he had an enemy on his tail, Tommy didn't know or care. All that mattered was getting rid of it._

_He immediately threw his fighter into an evasive maneuver. First pulling up hard then rolling it one-hundred eighty degrees and pulling up hard once again. Either he was lucky or the bandit was inexperienced, as the Gnerl fighter following him overshot._

"_Gotcha!!!"_

_The reticle on his HUD went a nice shade of red, a tone went off in his helmet and Tommy squeezed the trigger. Several missiles flew from his FAST-Pack and slammed into the Gnerl, obliterating it in a beautiful fireball._

"_Thanks Crimson Six."_

"_I'm sure she'd be welcomed if she wasn't already dead."_

_Maria dead... but she'd just warned him a split second earlier. How?_

_Before he could ask however, "It's just you and me, Slider. Rest of the squadron is gone and command is recalling us. Another squad will have to handle what's left. It's time to go."_

_Maria, Bucky, Daniel.... everyone gone? When? How? It made Tommy's head spin and gut turn inside out. _

"_You hear me Slider?!?!"_

_They couldn't be gone. They'd all been there from the beginning... all the way from Eden. Those five crappy years getting to this godforsaken system, and the two settling it. All the raids by pirates and rogues... No way they could be gone._

"_Slider!!!!!"_

"_**SLIDER!!!!!!!"**_

Tommy snapped back to reality with a jerk, not even realizing he'd fallen asleep. Slowly but surely everything came into focus around him.

He was in a pilot's lounge with several other pilots, not in space facing off with squadrons of rogue Zentradi. Two of the pilots are over by a display screen, apparently arguing over something they're watching. Another is laying down on the sofa across the room from him, snoring softly. The other four are sitting at a table, snacking on some food and talking about something Tommy can't hear and doesn't really care to. Everyone here appears to be from different squadrons, which has him confused.

"You alright there Slider? You looked like you were in pain there for a moment... wasn't the dream was it?"

Tommy looked up at the person speaking to him. It was Captain Morgan "Wild Man" O'Keeffe, the only other Crimson Blade left. Morgan stood just over six one with compassionate brown eyes that made it easy for anyone, especially those under his command, to come talk to.

Tommy leaned forward and put his head in his head while rubbing the sleep from his eyes, "Yeah, I'm fine sir." But looking at his reflection in the surface of the table in front of him, he knew he wasn't.

Second Lieutenant Tommy "Slider" Hancock stood at six foot even with an average build, dark hair and blue eyes that sometimes got him unintentionally in trouble with women. Though looking at those eyes now, with their dark bags underneath them, that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon.

With a thin smile, Morgan began, "You don't look fine. In fact you look like I feel after a night at the Vacuum back at Macross City. If it's the dream you can talk to me you know."

The dream was bad. It could haunt a pilot and destroy his career. Tommy wasn't ready to admit to anyone he had the dream, and wasn't sure if he ever would be.

"Really sir, I'm fine. Just need more sleep is all... of course I guess we all do."

Morgan plopped down on the sofa next to Tommy, "I don't think I've ever heard truer words in all my life. Short on manpower and all the colonials want to do is sit on their rears and let us do all the fighting. Spacy could send us some help as well... or is that too much to ask?"

Tommy had to smile at Morgan's words. Very few people in the Spacy contingent had any respect for the colonists and vice versa. The colonists hated the Zentradi in their ranks and wouldn't join, while the contingent thought that recruitment should be much higher considering this was the colonist's home not their's. Then there was the issue with Spacy's peculiar but very visible lack of support.

"Nothing in Five years is wrong. I can't believe the old men back at Macross City value us so little.... just what are you smiling about Wild Man."

Morgan looked over at him and winked, "I think you have a new friend Slider."

Tommy looked at Morgan like he had grown a second head and a third arm, "What in the name of all that is good are you talking about Wild Man? New friend... what new friend?"

Morgan just tilted his head in the direction of the table with the four pilots. One of them, an exotic looking woman with dark brown eyes and long blue-black hair tied back, was studying him intently. After a moment though, she seemed to turn her attention back to the others at her table and their conversation.

"_What was that about?"_

"I think she likes you, Slider."

Tommy wanted to hit Morgan, but it just wasn't in him to do it... even playfully. O'Keeffe was possibly his only friend.

"Wild Man... Never mind."

It was then that Major Kaadez entered. He would've been there sooner (as his shuttle had landed almost fifteen minutes ago) but the locals had given him a hard time.

"_Freaking locals. I'm out here risking my butt to keep them safe and what do I get? 'Sorry sir, but you seem to be missing some documents. You'll have to wait while I contact my supervisor.' I'll supervise your tail... all the way to Echidna and back."_

It was First Lieutenant Eckart Vogel (former member of the Star Hammers) standing next to the display screen that noticed Ullio first.

"**ATTEN-HUT!!!!!"**

Every pilot in the room, no matter what they were doing, shot to their feet and stood at attention. Surprisingly, the previously sleeping pilot showed no signs of distress at having been so unexpectedly awakened from what seemed like a good, deep sleep.

"At ease everyone."

Kaadez took a quick mental headcount and then nodded, "Good, it appears that everyone is here. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Major Ullio Kaadez, your new squadron commander. While I'd like to take more time for formal introductions and a briefing, I'm afraid our time here is short as our transport is waiting."

He looked around the room, taking the time to look each pilot, old and new comrades alike, in the eyes. He noted that the pilot with green eyes had "the look" and would need to be carefully watched.

"_Whatever happened to his squadron must've been rough. Have to watch him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."_

"As of now you are all members of the newly formed squadron, SVF-9762 'Cerberus.' I don't know how many of you are surprised by this news, but it appears command has decided to dissolve our old squadrons and fold us together into one new one and assign us to a brand new base here on Hades, Dee Bee Thirteen," Ullio lets out the tiniest of breathes "I know most of you aren't happy with this but if you wanted happiness you shouldn't have joined Spacy. Now grab your gear and head for the transport. Anyone not on board in five minutes gets left behind and has to walk. Now, MOVE IT."

Nothing that Kaadez had said really surprises Tommy. Every since the engagement that killed everyone in his squadron but Morgan and himself, he'd been expecting to be reassigned to a new squadron. The news that he'll still be serving with Captain O'Keeffe is a pleasant surprise, but the news about dee bee thirteen isn't.

With the shortages of manpower already plaguing the Spacy contingent, assigning a new squadron to the planet seemed like a completely ridiculous idea and he wanted to ask about it. The look on Major Kaadez's face and the tone of his voice convinced Tommy to save his questions for later though. So instead, he picked up the bag carrying his personal belongings sitting next to the sofa he'd fallen asleep on.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Morgan smiling, "Well I believe this is a good omen. Should be an eventful assignment, eh Slider?"

Tommy shook his head then ran his hand through his hair, "Yeah real eventful. Just what we needed."

"Hey maybe you can sit next to your new friend on the flight to our new base."

"Maybe Wild Man... Maybe?"

As everyone filed out of the lounge, carrying bags on their shoulder, Tommy really wondered what the future held and when he'd be able to get a decent nights sleep.

****

**Nearing Defense Base 13**

**Southwestern Region, Planet Hades**

**March 22, 2050**

Their transport had turned out to be an old beat up "puddle jumper" with barely enough room for it's passengers and their cargo. The flight had been uneventful until right before they entered the area controlled by their new assignment.

"Looks pretty bad outside."

"You ain't kidding Slider."

The sky had gone from clear blue without a cloud insight, to a line of ominous thunderheads as far as the eye could see.

"Gonna be a rough ride."

"Looks that way Wild man... sure looks that way."

And it was a rough ride. Turbulence shook, tossed, and hurled the transport in every direction. If the passengers hadn't been combat pilots used to even more violent maneuvers, it would've been a huge mess. Most of the passengers, including Tommy, manage to ignore the bucking and shaking. The sleeping pilot from lounge even managed to fall asleep and start snoring softly again.

"_Wish I could be that cool. Fall asleep anywhere I wanted to... just fall asleep without any trouble period."_

When they began to land, it seemed to surprise everyone on board. Even though visibility was limited, there had been no sign whatsoever that they'd reached their destination. Sufficient to say this was quiet upsetting to the Major.

"_No runway lights... unless they're under combat conditions, I'm going to have someone's tail."_

The landing was rough, but just about everyone on board had suffered worse. The small aircraft came to a sliding halt and the main door opened up, and immediately the rain began to pour in.

Ullio stood in the open doorway and surveyed his new assignment... what he could see. The airstrip itself was the standard affair except it had no running lights, though he could see where they would eventually be installed. A small control tower and the silhouettes of a couple of Valkyries could barely be seen on the other side of the airstrip. No other buildings were in sight.

"_This doesn't bode well. Runway without lights, tiny control tower, and torrential rain. Guess this all explains Ortiz. Must've known what he was sending me into. Little rat, I'll break him in two next time I see him."_

A disembarkation stair pulled up to the doorway and Ullio carefully made his way down where he was met by a man in a standard issue rain slicker. The man appeared older than most Spacy personnel, with deep lines etched on his face and graying hair.

The man had to yell to be overhead the pouring rain, "Major Kaadez, I assume. I'm Chief Master Sergeant Brian Andrews. Welcome to Defense Base Thirteen sir. Wish we'd been able to have a better reception waiting for you, but things around here are a little crazy at the moment. Then there's the weather. Been raining for three straight days and isn't expected to let up anytime soon. Tell you what, if you and your boys will follow me we'll go someplace a little drier and I'll answer all your questions."

Ullio shrugged, "Good idea chief. Personally I'd rather not catch pneumonia."

With that, Cerberus squadron carefully followed the chief master sergeant to a large field tent. The floor was muddy but a table large enough for everyone to sit at was setup with hot coffee already waiting.

"_Well things could be worse, atleast Andrews seems good at what he does."_

Everyone found a seat, with Kaadez taking the one at it's head, "Okay Chief, why the tent instead of the base headquarters building or even or barracks?"

Andrews looked at him with a bemused grin, "Sir, this is the base headquarters building and when we put the cots in here, your barracks as well."

Stunned silence reins for a few moments. Never in a million years would anyone in the squadron have even contemplated such primitive conditions, and yet that appears to be what they have.

Ullio's doesn't even raise his voice and yet still manages to sound like a volcano about to erupt, "Exactly what do you mean this is the base headquarters and our barracks? What happened to the permanent building and just where are all the other squadrons posted here."

The Chief Master Sergeant didn't even seemed perturbed by the fact that Kaadez sounds like he's about to rip his arms off. He justs pours himself a cup of coffee and then sits down.

"I meant what I said. This is the base headquarters and when we bring in your cots, your barracks as well. You see the locals are a little behind schedule. So far all they've managed to do is lay down the runway itself, without any lights, construct a basic control tower and lay the chain link fence around the base. Other than that, it's just a bunch of really large field tents."

He then leans back in his chair and carefully takes a sip of his coffee, "If you think that's bad just wait till you hear about the condition of you fighters. You see the fleet thought it was a better use of resources to send the fighters you were using to other squadrons that needed the replacements. So you all get a bunch of broken down wrecks and antiques that the colonials purchased before leaving Eden. Most of which aren't even flight worthy much less combat capable."

Kaadez just seems to deflate and closed his eyes.

"_This has to be a nightmare. There can be no way this is happening. Then again Ortiz is responsible for this. He knew, the little rat knew all along he was exiling me to a crap assignment. Just another reason to kill him later."_

When the Major opens his eyes again, determination shines brightly in them, "Okay Andrews, tell me what we have to work with."

Andrews smiles, "Very well sir. Not everything is as bad as it seems, We do have two vee eff eleven's that we can get working, but everything else is... old. So far my crews have chosen five vee eff five-thousands and four vee eff one exes that we can get up and running. Gives the squadron eleven fighters all total. Thought at first this was gonna be a problem, but doing a quick headcount, I see you only have ten pilots anyway so technically we have a spare."

Ullio looked the man in the eyes, "How long to get everything combat capable?"

Andrew taps his lip apparently doing some mental calculations, "Three weeks maybe four, depending upon the weather and how hard we work my crews."

"Unacceptable."

It was a single word but it held a lot of power in it.

"This squadron will be up and operational in a week."

Andrews snorts, "Just how exactly am I suppose to do that sir? Work my crews twenty-four seven?"

Ullio smiles, "Nope... everyone works twenty-four seven. That means the pilots in this room as well as your crews. And when one fighter is finished, the pilot and crew of that fighter helps another pilot and their crew."

Everyone, including Andrews seems shocked by this announcement. Only under the most dire of circumstances were pilots expected to help with any of the maintenance much less the repairs Andrews had inferred.

"Before anyone opens their mouth and says something stupid that they'll regret, let me just say this squadron must... no, will be operational in a weeks time. Why? Cause no one expects it. They think we're washed up but I plan on proving them wrong."

He looks each and every man and women directly in the eyes in turn, "I'm going to prove to the idiots, Cerberus squadron is the best they have, no matter what we have to work with. Rain, no real shelter to sleep in, or antique fighters. Everyone understand?"

Kaadez wasn't sure whether anyone would buy it, but as he looks around the table, everyone seems to sit up just a little straighter.

"Before we get started working on our fighters, lets get down to how our squadron will be organized." While en route Kaadez had been working on this problem and thought he'd finally worked out the best solution , "Since we only have ten units, I've decided against the standard finger four formation. Instead of flights of four with the third being at half strength, we'll form up into two flights of five fighters each. The first section will contain three fighters, while the second will only contain two. Any questions so far?"

Seeing that there is none he continues, "I'll lead first flight and Captain Ming-ho Shieh will command second flight as my ex oh. We'll also fly the elevens. Certain privileges that comes with rank. I am sorry Captain O'Keeffe but he has seniority."

Morgan shrugs, 'Not a problem with me sir."

"Good, you'll be my second in first flight with Lieutenant Vogel flying as your wingman. You'll both get five-thousands."

Both pilots looked at each other and nodded, "No problem once again sir."

Now came a real problem for Kaadez. The pilot with "the look" had turned out to be one Second Lieutenant Tommy Hancock. Hancock's record had been strong and unremarkable. He'd joined the expedition right out of the academy and had served ably every since. The problem came when his squadron was almost completely wiped out. Ullio figured that every since then, the boy had been wound up tight. He'd need watching... he'd need the perfect wingman. He believe he had the right one.

First lieutenant Aliah Farah was the solution. Top of her class at the academy, and a first class officer and pilot all around. No one in her former squadron had more citations and kills. If they were back in civilized space, she'd have been a squadron commander by now. She was perfect for the job.

"Lieutenant Farah and Lieutenant Hancock will round out our flight. You'll both get one exes. Any questions?"

"No sir," sounds off in stereo as both pilots responds at the exact same moment.

It was the exotic woman from the lounge. The one that had been studying Tommy so intently and was doing so again. So he decided to study her in return. She was certainly beautiful with those deep brown eyes and blue black hair but she also had an air of confidence. Almost as if she never questioned anything she did... ever. That's all Tommy had done since his squadron had been pasted.

"_So her name is Aliah Farah. Seems to fit her perfectly."_

"Well if no one has any further questions, I think you're all dismissed. Good luck."

With that everyone began to file out of the tent, except for Tommy and his new wingman. She makes a beeline for him and extends her hand.

"Hi, I'm Lieutenant Aliah Farah_. _You can call me Aliah or by my callsign Mirage."

Tommy shook her hand and looked her in the eyes and couldn't help but smile, "Nice to meet you, I'm Tommy or Slider. Either one works."

She smiled back, "I think it's going to be interesting don't you Slider?"

He couldn't help but laugh, "Without a doubt Mirage, this is going to be an interesting assignment."

To say the least it would be.


End file.
